For many applications wire or tape must be plated on its external surface such as for protection or insulation. Where the overall cross-sectional size of the coated or plated material does not have to be held to a high tolerance, known processes may be employed.
Difficulties arise where continuous plating has to achieve a particular overall cross-sectional size for the end product and the invention is of particular importance in such processes.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for plating in a continuous manner a conductive substrate typically in the form of wire or tape and typically of metal so as to enable a final predictable and accurately controlled cross-section size of the plated material to be obtained.
It is a subsidiary object of the invention to provide apparatus and method by which continuously produced plated wire or tape has not only a controlled cross-sectional size but also a controlled surface finish.